US 12180330 B1Patent grantUnited States

Optical Object Temperature Measurement

Official patent title

Method for measuring the temperature of an object with a thermo-optical analysis system

Arabic title: طريقة لقياس درجة حرارة جسم باستخدام نظام للتحليل الحراري البصري

Invention

Problem

Many conjugated-polymer thermal indicators change gradually over broad temperature ranges or require difficult solvent processing, limiting their use in practical optical temperature sensors.

Why it matters

A reversible optical response linked to temperature can enable electrical isolation, remote readout, and integration with photonic measurement systems.

Approach

The system uses a curcumin-oil/PDH-CN thermo-responsive composition in a sealed transparent container, coupled through a heat-transfer plate to the object and read by a photomultiplier tube.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include optical-sensor manufacturers, process-monitoring companies, photonics laboratories, instrumentation developers, and researchers working on smart polymer systems.

Potential value

The patent combines a defined thermo-responsive polymer composition, a 0–100 °C optical response, a heat-transfer interface, and photomultiplier readout in one temperature-measurement architecture.

Background

Stimuli-responsive conjugated polymers can change color or fluorescence when temperature alters chain conformation, crystallinity, or aggregation. However, gradual changes across broad ranges can complicate calibration, and many conjugated polymers require high-boiling or toxic solvents at elevated temperature. The patent uses curcumin oil with a cyano-substituted poly(phenylenevinylene), particularly PDH-CN, to form an exciplex whose emission varies with temperature. It then places that material in a transparent sealed sensor and connects it to a photomultiplier-based readout and a heat-transfer plate.

Technology overview

The thermo-responsive composition contains curcumin oil and a cyano derivative of poly(phenylenevinylene), with at least part of the polymer forming an exciplex; PDH-CN is a specified example. The sensor is claimed to show temperature-dependent emission from 450–800 nm, including 535–600 nm, over 0–100 °C, with a reversible color cycle and a linear temperature–emission relationship. A transparent container holds more than 90 vol.% composition, while the PMT converts emitted photons into an electrical signal.

Potential applications

Potential use in optical temperature measurement for laboratory equipment.
Potential use in non-electrical sensing near electromagnetically sensitive systems.
Potential use in process-monitoring instruments operating within the claimed temperature range.
Potential use as a research platform for thermo-fluorochromic polymer sensors.

Evidence-supported advantages

Provides a reversible claimed optical response across a defined 0–100 °C range.
Uses both color/emission change and PMT-based electrical readout.
Integrates the sensor with a heat-transfer plate for contact with the measured object.
Specifies PDH-CN, curcumin-oil content, optical bands, and composition ratios.

Development stage

Patent publication with reported composition preparation and thermal-cycle optical characterization; commercialization and independent metrology validation were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The sensing architecture may be suitable for licensing to optical-instrumentation or process-monitoring developers. Further work should establish calibration accuracy, response time, hysteresis, cycle life, container compatibility, batch consistency, environmental stability, PMT integration cost, and performance against established commercial temperature sensors.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

C08G61/02Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
G01K11/20Measuring temperature or quantity of heat; thermally sensitive elements not otherwise provided for

CPC

C08G61/02Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
G01K11/20Measuring temperature or quantity of heat; thermally sensitive elements not otherwise provided for
C08G2261/1422Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/1424Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/1428Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/143Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/18Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/228Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/312Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/3327Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
C08G2261/94Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds

Inventors

First inventorOsamah Abdulrahman Aldaghri
InventorKhalid Hassan Ibnouf Ahmed
InventorHajo Idriss Mohammed Idriss
InventorAhmed Alsadig Ahmed

Keywords

thermoluminescence sensor
PDH-CN
curcumin oil
polyphenylenevinylene
temperature measurement
photomultiplier tube
thermo-fluorochromism

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.